Kitty Deschanel | Food, Wine, and Travel Adventures in an Airstream Basecamp

Old Amsterdam Cheese FAQs, Recipes, & Wine Pairings - Gouda 101 for Cheese Simpletons Old Amsterdam is an aged Gouda cheese made of cow’s milk. Compared to a younger Gouda, it has a harder texture, more deepened color, and an intense, buttery flavor with the slightest sweetness. If you're a cheese simpleton like me, you might see this post and wonder What does Gouda taste like? It has a strong, rich flavor. I think the best way to describe it is that Gouda tastes fancy. (Yes, fancy!)  Have you ever made a sandwich, only to have your slice of cheddar add pointless, wasted calories because you can't taste it among all the other ingredients? This isn't a problem with a bold slice of Old Amsterdam Gouda. It also pairs well with simple ingredients, such as fruit, chocolate, and nuts, elevating a lackluster grouping of ingredients into something special. What sells it for me is the fact that Old Amsterdam Gouda can take an everyday food and dazzle it up. A g...

As a chronic insomniac, I've tried just about everything to improve my sleep. You know those weird acupressure pillows that promise to help you catch more Z's in a relaxing, zen manner...by stabbing you in the head and neck with sharp plastic? Yeah, I have one of those. When you suffer from idiopathic insomnia , you're willing to give anything a chance. Still, Feng Shui for sleep? It sounded a bit far fetched. When I heard that feng shui has been recommended as an insomnia treatment, I'll admit I was skeptical. In fact, my first thought was of a quote from The Simpsons. I should totally add this to my Simpsons Quiz , by the way. Feng Shui for Sleep The technical definition of feng shui is:  " A  system of laws considered to govern spatial arrangement and orientation in relation to the flow of energy (qi), with favorable or unfavorable effects taken into account when siting buildings." Reading that is already putting me to sleep. It sounds k...

Yesterday, Sexy Nerd and I had the pleasure of attending the annual Corrales Wine Loop event, which pairs 9* local wines with 9 cheese tastings. If you're near Albuquerque or Santa Fe, this event is worth the drive to Corrales.  The three participating wineries are Acequia, Corrales, and Pasando Tiempo. It's only $25 per person. You can also attend the Corrales Bike and Wine Tour next month, which features the same wines paired with strenuous exercise instead of cheese. (Ha, ha.) *Make that 10 local wines - Acequia winery was extra generous! Also, if you're reading this and are from one of the wineries, your previous event had wines paired with desserts. You replaced chocolate with cheese?! This sweet-toothed gal requests a combination of cheese pairings and sugary treats for Corrales Wine Loop, 2020.  Wine + Cheese + Chocolate = Heaven   Our first stop was the Corrales Winery , which features a lovely patio overlooking a lush, green field. Soakin...

Photos From Our Costa Atlantica Cruise - The Good (What little there was before Costa tried to kill us.) Below is a post I started in 2011 and only just now realized I never posted, 8 years later. Crazy! Also crazy? Look how young we were! Who allowed these children unescorted on a cruise? Remember my post ' No Cruising Since October? That Won't Do! '? Last year, Sexy Nerd and I embarked on an almost 2 week cruise from Quebec to NYC. Yes, last year . I really am behind on my blogging. That, and this was such a bad cruise. A truly, disgustingly bad cruise, and we will never recommend Costa to anyone as long as we live. I've read that Costa has not done well in North America and it doesn't surprise me one bit. For this post, however, let's focus on the good. The Itinerary We loved this itinerary, even in the Spring when it was a bit chilly. Canada is our favorite cruise destination. We'd love to go in the Fall when the leaves are changing. ...